--- eventsindex_id: EI-07020 slug: economic-forum-karpacz title: Economic Forum Karpacz title_alt: - Forum Ekonomiczne - Forum Ekonomiczne w Karpaczu - Eastern Davos canonical_url: https://eventsindex.org/events/economic-forum-karpacz.html next_edition_dates: 2026-09-08 to 2026-09-10 next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: '2026-09-08' date_end: '2026-09-10' venue: Hotel Gołębiewski Karpacz city: Karpacz country: Poland organiser: Fundacja Instytut Studiów Wschodnich (Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies) organiser_url: https://www.forum-ekonomiczne.pl/ b2b: true vector: sector: - economic-forums audience: - heads-of-state-and-government - ministers - meps - ceos - c-suite-executives format: - conference purpose: - networking - policy geography_scope: - Eastern-Europe season: autumn meta_description: 'Economic Forum Karpacz: Central Europe''s largest annual conference, September 2026, 6,000+ leaders, 500+ debates on geopolitics, economy and technology.' editorial_take: The only CEE conference that reliably seats heads of government alongside corporate boardrooms and think-tank researchers in a single mountain resort, the Karpacz Economic Forum is the region's clearest bellwether for political risk and investment appetite in the post-Soviet neighbourhood. generated_by: enrich-cowork (N1/N2/N3) last_verified: '2026-06-11' schema_version: v8.0 language: en --- # Economic Forum Karpacz > *The largest annual conference in Central and Eastern Europe: three days each September in a Polish mountain resort, drawing more than 6,000 heads of government, ministers, executives, researchers and journalists from over 50 countries to debate the geopolitical and economic future of the region.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | 8 to 10 September 2026 | Hotel Gołębiewski, Karpacz, Poland | Fundacja Instytut Studiów Wschodnich, Warsaw | 6,000+ participants (according to the organiser) | ## Definition The Economic Forum Karpacz (Polish: Forum Ekonomiczne) is an annual three-day multi-track conference held every September in Karpacz, a spa and ski resort in the Lower Silesia region of southern Poland. Organised by the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies since 1992, it is the largest recurring political-economic conference in Central and Eastern Europe. The 35th edition, taking place 8 to 10 September 2026, is organised around the theme "Architecture of a New Order: Stability in Times of Change" and spans more than 500 debates, panel discussions, workshops and plenary sessions grouped across eight thematic forums. Regularly covered by international financial media, it occupies a position as a high-attendance, open-registration gathering that brings heads of state into the same building as early-career analysts and NGO representatives. ## What makes the Economic Forum Karpacz different from other European summits The forum combines genuinely high political attendance with an unusually accessible format. Unlike closed-door invitation events, it operates an open registration system and includes a dedicated youth track designed to integrate emerging leaders alongside senior officials. The scale, more than 500 debates in three days, means the programme runs in parallel across all eight thematic forums simultaneously, making it closer in structure to a large industry conference than to a traditional high-level summit. The mountain resort setting in Karpacz, and previously for decades in Krynica-Zdrój, reinforces the informal networking culture that participants and observers consistently cite as the forum's distinguishing quality. ## Who attends Economic Forum Karpacz The forum draws participants from across the full spectrum of political, business and intellectual life: - Heads of state, prime ministers, foreign ministers and senior EU officials - Corporate CEOs and board members from major Polish and international companies - Think-tank directors, university rectors and academic economists - Journalists, civil society leaders and regional government representatives - Young professionals and students through a dedicated youth initiative More than 50 countries are typically represented, with particularly strong delegations from Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the Baltic states and Germany. More than 150 business and institutional partners co-produce sessions and exhibit, meaning a significant portion of attendees come as part of corporate or organisational delegations. ## What Economic Forum Karpacz covers programmatically The 2026 programme is structured around eight thematic forums: Artificial Intelligence, Economy, Healthcare, Society, Cybersecurity, International Politics and Security, Regions, and Sustainable Development. Each forum runs independently with its own programme committee and produces multiple panels over the three days. The unifying editorial thread for 2026 is the theme "Architecture of a New Order: Stability in Times of Change", which frames discussions around the structural shifts in European security, the reconfiguration of global trade relationships, and the social consequences of accelerating technological change. The plenary sessions at the opening and closing of the event typically feature the highest-profile political participants. Accompanying the policy programme are cultural events, author meetings, film screenings and an evening banquet, making the forum a social as well as professional event. ## Edition history and context The forum was founded in 1992 by Zygmunt Berdychowski, in the years immediately following the political transformations that reshaped Central and Eastern Europe. From its first edition through its 28th in 2019, the event was held in Krynica-Zdrój, a spa resort in the Małopolska region of southern Poland, and acquired over those three decades the informal designation of the "Eastern Davos" for its role in shaping CEE political and economic discourse. In 2020, the organisers relocated the forum to Karpacz in Lower Silesia, and subsequently made Karpacz the permanent home from 2021 onwards. Hotel Gołębiewski, one of Poland's largest hotels with 880 rooms and a large conference centre, signed a multi-year hosting agreement with the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies, providing the infrastructure necessary for the forum's scale. By its 35th edition in 2026, the forum had grown from a regional dialogue initiative into one of Europe's most-attended annual policy conferences, measured by the number of active debates and the diversity of participant countries. The move to Karpacz has concentrated the networking dynamic of the event and drawn in a new set of regional sponsors and institutional partners. ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### Is the Economic Forum Karpacz the same as the World Economic Forum in Davos? No. The two events are entirely distinct organisations with no institutional connection. The Karpacz forum is organised by the Polish Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies and focuses specifically on Central and Eastern European political and economic questions. The "Eastern Davos" comparison, used in international media coverage, refers to the forum's informal atmosphere, high political attendance and its role as a temperature-check for regional sentiment, not to any structural relationship with the World Economic Forum. ### What language is the forum conducted in? The forum operates in both Polish and English. Major plenary sessions and many of the highest-profile panels provide simultaneous interpretation. Some thematic sessions run exclusively in Polish, particularly those focused on domestic Polish policy, regional development or cultural topics. International participants generally navigate the English-language stream without difficulty, and the registration materials are available in both languages. ### Is the Economic Forum Karpacz a public event or is it invitation-only? The forum operates an open registration system accessible via the official website. Delegates register individually or as part of organisational delegations. Accreditation is available for journalists. The presence of heads of state and senior officials does not restrict general delegate access to the building or the thematic panels; high-security sessions are separated from the general programme. ### Who is Economic Forum Karpacz NOT designed for? The forum is not designed for the following: - Practitioners seeking technical trade-show content or product demonstrations - Companies looking for a procurement platform or a startup pitch event - Attendees wanting deep operational workshops in a single industry vertical - Professionals whose only objective is commercial prospecting within a defined sector - Those seeking a small, closed-door peer setting rather than a large open conference ## The venue: Hotel Gołębiewski Karpacz Hotel Gołębiewski in Karpacz is one of Poland's largest hotels by room count, with 880 rooms and a conference infrastructure that includes several thousand square metres of combined exhibition and event space. Located in Karpacz in the Karkonosze Mountains of Lower Silesia, the hotel offers year-round resort facilities including spa, pools and extensive catering capacity, which accommodate the social and informal dimensions of a multi-day conference of this scale. The foundation signed a multi-year contract designating Hotel Gołębiewski as the official venue, providing continuity of logistics across editions. The mountain resort environment contributes to the concentrated, semi-residential dynamic that participants describe as central to the event's networking value. ## The organiser: Fundacja Instytut Studiów Wschodnich The Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies (Fundacja Instytut Studiów Wschodnich) is a Warsaw-based non-profit organisation founded by Zygmunt Berdychowski. Its institutional mission is to support political and economic cooperation in Europe, with a particular focus on the relationship between EU member states and the countries of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. The foundation maintains editorial and political independence and produces research alongside its event activities. The Economic Forum is its flagship project and the main vehicle through which it convenes policymakers, business leaders and researchers in sustained dialogue. Beyond the Karpacz forum, the foundation organises related regional events. --- ## Editorial take *The only CEE conference that reliably seats heads of government alongside corporate boardrooms and think-tank researchers in a single mountain resort, the Karpacz Economic Forum is the region's clearest bellwether for political risk and investment appetite in the post-Soviet neighbourhood.* ## How to register and what it costs Registration for the Economic Forum Karpacz is handled through the official registration portal. The event operates an open registration model rather than an invitation-only system. As of June 2026, specific ticket tier pricing for the 35th edition had not been publicly listed; delegates should consult the registration portal directly for current rates and pass types. Accreditation for journalists is available through a dedicated press accreditation process. Accommodation at Hotel Gołębiewski and in the broader Karpacz resort area is managed separately by delegates. ## FAQ · Access and practicalities ### When should delegates register for the Economic Forum Karpacz? Registration typically opens several months before the September dates. Given the scale of the event and the number of organisational delegations, early registration is advisable for those requiring guaranteed access to specific thematic forums or accommodation within the main venue. For the 2026 edition running 8 to 10 September, monitoring the official website from mid-2026 onwards for registration announcements is recommended. ### How do delegates travel to Karpacz? Karpacz is located in the Karkonosze Mountains in Lower Silesia, approximately 100 kilometres south-west of Wrocław. The nearest major airport is Wrocław Copernicus Airport, from which Karpacz is reachable by train to Jelenia Góra followed by bus or taxi, or by direct car transfer in approximately 90 minutes. During the forum period, the organisers and hotel partners typically coordinate transport logistics. ### What is the working language on-site? The forum operates bilingually in Polish and English. Simultaneous interpretation is provided for major plenary sessions. Many high-profile panels with international speakers run in English. Sessions focused on Polish domestic policy or cultural programming are typically conducted in Polish without interpretation. ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://www.forum-ekonomiczne.pl/ | | Registration portal | https://www.economicforum.pl/rejestracja-forum-ekonomiczne/ | | LinkedIn | https://pl.linkedin.com/company/eastern-institute | | Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Forum_(in_Poland) | --- **Last verified:** 2026-06-11 **Next review:** 2026-07-11 **Notes:** Speaker list for the 2026 edition not yet published as of verification date; pricing for the 35th edition not publicly listed as of June 2026; venue capacity figure (880 rooms) per reporting on the multi-year hosting agreement; attendance figure of 6,000+ is organiser-stated; "Eastern Davos" designation sourced from media coverage. Organiser creation year not confirmed; the forum itself dates to 1992. **Variables:** 38/58 **Concept definition:** not applicable